Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 - (Page 5) 5 Of Interest to Pharmacists Dispelling misconceptions surrounding lice Dana Cassell S ome confusion exists in the medical community and general public about the toxicity and resistance among prescription lice treatments. Of the two currently approved Rx treatments — generic lindane and Ovide (malathion) — only lindane has a black-box warning. Howard Rutman, MD, department of medical affairs, TaroPharma, manufacturer of Ovide, said, “Ovide doesn’t have the same kind of neurological risk of seizures that you see with lindane. So there is a big difference between the safety profiles of the two drugs.” Lice Hair Egg Prescription Ovide (malathion) is still 97% to 98% effective with a high level of purity. Rutman said it is important to alert patients that Ovide is flammable (because it contains isopropyl alcohol) and should be kept away from heat sources, such as hair dryers and cigarettes, while the hair is wet. Also, it is not approved for use in neonates and infants. Another misperception is the safety profile of malathion. Unlike agricultural-grade malathion, which has toxic impurities, the pharmaceuticalgrade malathion used in Ovide has a high level of purity and is safe and effective. Several studies suggest that lice have developed increased resistance to a number of OTC treatments, while Ovide has been shown to still be 97% to 98% effective. Why no apparent resistance to it? “Because it’s a prescription product, I think it’s used a bit more carefully,” Rutman said. In addition, he said, in vitro studies have shown that several of its inactive ingredients (terpineol, dipentene, pine-needle oil) help to prevent the development of resistance. More information about lice can be found at the following links: www.cdc.gov/lice/head/index.html www.sciele.com/pipeline-LiceProduct.html www.parapro.com/profile.aspx www.licemd.com/ www.healthenterprises.com/he/main_lice.php www.quitnits.com/ THE AUTHOR is a writer based in New Hampshire. http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/index.html http://www.sciele.com/pipeline-LiceProduct.html http://www.parapro.com/profile.aspx http://www.licemd.com/ http://www.healthenterprises.com/he/main_lice.php http://www.quitnits.com/
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 Contents Profitable Foot-Care Category Grows Steadily Dispelling the Myths Surrounding Lice Latest News Roundup Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 - Contents (Page 1) Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 - Contents (Page 2) Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 - Profitable Foot-Care Category Grows Steadily (Page 3) Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 - Profitable Foot-Care Category Grows Steadily (Page 4) Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 - Dispelling the Myths Surrounding Lice (Page 5) Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 - Latest News Roundup (Page 6) Drug Topics - August 18, 2008 - Latest News Roundup (Page 7)
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